I exited Amanita's crystal and mirror labyrinth a few minutes later feeling a bit dizzy.

The raging party in Amanita was still going on, but the heavy drinking was escalating a lot further. I wanted to make them stop, but I realised that I should be able to respect their free will if they wanted to intoxicate themselves to such a point. It saddened me, though.

I had had enough. I got my uniform, the spiders, and the ticks that Agape had left for me, and I left. I exited the building, hoping to find Siegfried by the main door.

When I opened the door, the music came out too. There he was, making sure no one misbehaved as several groups of clone youngsters were making a cue to buy tickets from Momo and Vera to enter the venue. He turned his face to me out of instinct, and when he saw me he smiled briefly. That was a good sign since I wanted to ask him for a ride home if that was possible. After all, I had promised my father that I wouldn't walk home.

"You're out early. Didn't you find him?" Siegfried asked me. It was obvious he was expecting me to say 'no'.

"I did," I replied.

Suddenly, he was tense all over, and his smile was gone.

"Don't worry. It's gonna be fine," I tried to calm him, but it was no use.

The dance music rang louder again. The main door was open once more.

"Hey, you," a stern male voice called behind my back.

I turned around and realised that Ray, the Asian guy with long, dark hair, was staring straight at me with a murderous face. Oh-oh. He was referring to me. I was sure that I would get killed by one of those rebels one day.

"Ray," Siegfried intervened with a stern voice, "take it easy, man. She's just..."

"A rookie, like you, Sigi," Ray interrupted him abruptly, but in a much more intriguing tone of voice as he came closer to us so that nobody else could hear us. "A talented rookie. But unlike you, my dear friend, she's is a mechanic, right?"

His murderous face turned into an interested one. I realised he had a wonderful tattoo of a carp fish on his right biceps, partially covered by his tight-fitting, black T-shirt.

"Listen, huh," he said hesitating. With his keen eyes, he seemed to ask me my name.

"Daphne."

"Daphne," he repeated agreeably, "the washing machine's driving me nuts. Could you take a look and fix it?"

"The washing machine? Yeah, I've heard Nemesis complaining about it this morning. I can mend it, sure."

"Ray," Siegfried said then calmly, "it's too late for that now. It's midnight already. She should go home. She's got a mission in the morning."

"I don't mind," I commented joyfully.

"Daphne, Ray's obsessed with cleaning," Siegfried told me with a warning tone, "and with order, too. He can't stand dirt, misplaced objects, stains or wrinkles on his clothes. If you can't mend our washing machine, he's gonna hate you forever. Besides, Ray, that repair guy called saying he got delayed. He's coming tomorrow."

"He said the same thing yesterday!" Ray complained in anger. "And the day before that! And last week!"

"Sounds like a procrastinator to me," I concluded.

"You bet," Ray agreed. "Listen, mend the washing machine, and I swear I'll pay you back. Anything you ask for. I'll be the best customer you've ever had. Deal?"

"Really? You'll stop hating me?" I asked with hope in my eyes.

"Do it, and I swear I'll do anything," Ray insisted. "I'll make all of them stop hating you."

"Ray!" Siegfried exclaimed, unable to believe his ears. "Damn, you're desperate."

"Yes, I am!" Ray exclaimed as if the world would soon end.

"Ray, I promise you won't regret this," I replied with confidence.

He smiled back at me.

A few minutes later, Ray had taken me to his beloved washing machine. It had been installed on the ground floor of their home in front of the club, in a badly lit storage room.

It was massively disorganised, too. I could see the nasty effects of the state of that room on Ray's composure. He was cringing and trying hard to veil it.

"Just so you know," I told him while opening up the machine by the back and examining the damage. Luckily, I had borrowed an apron and a couple of cleaning gloves from Ray. "I would've done it for free now that I'm part of the gang, you know." Then I whispered, "Nice, big washer drum."

I softly bit my lower lip while I took the washer drum out and put it on the floor beside me. I grunted and furrowed my brows when I examined it closely.

It was in a deplorable state. It had a thick layer of dough-like, greyish dirt clinging to it, and when I managed to clean it a bit, I could see massive limescale incrustations.

"Do you use anything to clean the machine once in a while?" I asked him.

"A standard detergent from the store," he replied, not feeling satisfied.

"Stop using it. You're wasting your money. Use a large cup of vinegar or lemon juice instead. Run the machine empty on a normal wash cycle. As well as removing the limescale, it'll help freshen it up."

"Good to know," he answered with satisfaction and amazement.

"It'll also be cheaper, too," I added cheerfully.

As I kept on cleaning all the dirt, I found it hard to take it off using only a thick sponge. There seemed to be something harder than just dirt and limescale clinging to the metal.

"What's this? I can't seem to take it off. Weird."

I got a screwdriver from a toolbox they had and tried to take that unknown stuff off with care.

"It's..." I frowned harder. When I managed to take it off, I examined it and exclaimed with amusement while raising an eyebrow, "It's a bunch of sequins. They must've got torn from a dress while the water drum was spinning, and they must've made friends with the dirt and got accumulated in the vital parts of the drum, rendering it useless eventually."

"I'm gonna kill Momo, Vera, and Nemesis!" he exclaimed in ire. He turned around and punched the wall. His rage ended up harming his right fist. "Fuck!" he exclaimed as he put his hurt fist on his lips.

"Just tell them to be more careful. If they use mesh laundry bags, this problem shouldn't happen again," I added casually.

He stared at me in disbelief. His rage was gone. "You're proving to be quite useful," he said with satisfaction.

"Thanks." I smiled.

But when I proceeded to put the wash drum back inside the machine, I couldn't do it. When I tried to push it inside, it was making a funny metallic noise similar to a screech that I couldn't place.

It was metal on metal, that was for sure. The drum didn't seem to fit back inside. Something was blocking it.

"Something's stuck in here." I left the drum back on the floor. "Have I misplaced something? Or has a part fallen off? Got a flashlight?"

I put a hand in the machine while Ray used his phone to shine a light inside the machine. Down at the bottom, I was surprised to see a delicate, roundish object. I took it out and cleaned it a bit to see what it was.

"An earring?!" I exclaimed. "Your washing machine is a box full of surprises!"

It was a silver, round earring with tiny crystals. The design was lovely.

"Whose is this?" I asked.

"Momo's," he replied in killer mode again. "She's gonna hear from me!"

"It was probably an accident."

She didn't deserve me defending her, but she would hate me even more if Ray wanted to murder her on account of me finding her earring obstructing the washer drum of his beloved washing machine.

"Just don't tell her anything, please. She'll hate me even more 'cos of this. Let's make this my payment for my services, okay? Just don't tell her I've found this and mended the washing machine."

My face was that of a child getting caught doing mischief, and somehow Ray found it funny because he chuckled and smiled.

"This should be my payment to you for mending the washing machine? My silence?" he asked, unable to believe me. "And what? Give the credit to that moronic repair guy who's never available?"

I left Momo's earring on a shelf and put the washer drum back where it belonged with ease.

"I don't care who takes the credit. But, if you could, you know, publicly show that you don't hate my guts like the rest of the group..." I added, trying my luck, "that would be nice, too."

"Don't sell yourself this cheap, girl," he replied with admiration in his eyes. "You deserve more."

"Really?" I closed the back lid of the washing machine.

His eyes were truly expressing admiration and genuine interest in me. It felt weird.

I stared back at him, mesmerised by the wonderful artwork on his right biceps. That carp fish was stunning. I wondered whether it held a special meaning.

"You like it?" he asked, noticing that I was staring at the tattoo with interest. "It's koi, carp fish. It's my family's spirit animal. It's a Japanese popular belief that koi are brave and dangerous and that they can flow through the hardships of life like water. Like me."

"Cool," I whispered with admiration. Then, I added with confidence, "Anyway, I'm done. It should work now. Wanna run a trial cycle just in case?"

"Sure," he replied joyfully.

A few minutes later, the washing machine was making sweet music, the one that was expected from it – and Ray, by the broad smile on his face, was beyond pleased.

"Now," Ray said kindly, "I assume a certain young lady needs a ride home?"

"I do." I grabbed my new uniform, the spiders, and the ticks. "I'll ask Siegfried."

I turned and headed to the door when he replied, "I can drop you off if you want."

I turned to stare at him with mild incredulity. "That would be nice. Thank you."

He seemed a completely different person. I felt proud of myself for having made a new friend out of an enemy.

We went outside.

When Ray showed me his blue motorbike, parked right beside Siegfried's in the small parking lot of the nightclub, I marvelled at the sight. It was a Kawasakyi Ninjah H2, a supercharged supersport class motorcycle in the Ninja sportbike series, featuring a variable-speed centrifugal-type supercharger. It was the fastest and most powerful production motorcycle on the market, producing a maximum of 310 horsepower (230 kW).

"Cool," I whispered to myself while walking all around the bike and staring at it with admiration.

Ray must've heard me because he chuckled.

Then, he made a gesture to Siegfried, who was standing by Amanita's doors, to signal him he was bringing me home with his hands. He raised an eyebrow at us in surprise. He stared at us getting on Ray's bike and riding away.

I guided Ray home and I made him stop at the corner of my street, just like I had done with Siegfried the previous night. I didn't want my father to see Ray either.

"Are you sure you wanna walk from here?" Ray asked me with worry once he had taken off his helmet.

"I know, I know," I replied. "The Dam is a creepy place."

"Creepy is an understatement. I mean, look at those huge cracks on the walls of every fucking building, and the mould, and... what's this awful smell?!" he asked with revulsion and dreadful wrinkles on his nose.

"You had never set foot in the Dam, I see," I replied feeling amused by his quirk. "It's a slum. This is where we live. It's messier than your formerly broken washing machine. It probably makes you sick, doesn't it?"

"You bet," he replied swiftly, with worry and wounded pride. "How can you live here?!"

"Well, over a thousand people do."

"You're kidding... right?!" he exclaimed, appalled.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Thank you, Ray. For bringing me home," I added politely.

"You're welcome," he said gently. "Arigato to you, actually, for repairing the washing machine."

I assumed that was the Japanese word to thank me.

"By the way, how did you know I'm a mechanic? Did Agape tell you?"

"Gabi did." A warm smile embellished his face once more. "He's a blabbermouth," he said cheerfully.

He was trying to ignore how uncomfortable he was feeling in the streets of the Dam for my sake. I could tell by his irked brows. I shouldn't make him wait there for me.

"He said you had fixed his alarm clock. He also said that you're cool, that you stick a screwdriver in your hair to make a bun, and... last but not least," he added with a sarcastic chuckle, "that we should give you a chance."

"Oh," I whispered a bit dumbfounded.

"At first, I thought it was because women are sacred to him. To him, all women are like..." he replied, trying to come up with the right words, "like goddesses. He adores them. Especially Agape. But now I get why he had said that. You're amazing. You can help us a great deal."

His eyes were heavily fixed on mine with pride.

"Wow," I whispered in awe. My embarrassment showed on my face by igniting my cheeks.

I wasn't used to being talked to like that, with that much admiration. Maybe it was the reason why I felt brave enough to ask him my most feared question, "Ray, do you mind me asking you why you all hate me that much? Neither Agape nor Siegfried is willing to tell me. Well, she said I'm to blame 'cos Siegfried failed to get his target the other day, but... I don't get it. I wasn't even there."

He giggled.

"I'm not gonna tell you either," he said while he was smiling at me with naughtiness.

"Come on! Why not?!" I exclaimed with frustration as I humphed and crossed my arms over my chest.

"The payment for your services, my dear Daphne, has already been paid in full. You've even got a free ride home."

"Just tell me that... that the coffee grinder or the dishwasher's broken too, please!" I replied in a hurry as if I could get him to talk by exchanging more favours.

He laughed.

"Look, I'll tell the others to stop hating you. Maybe if it's me who says that, and not just Sigi and Gabi, maybe the message will sink in, you know. But no more favours."

"Okay, thanks." I was feeling down even though I could see the group slowly opening up to accept me, step by step.

"I think you're a good influence to us, Daphne," he whispered with warmth. The depth of his staring and the brightness in his eyes felt to me as if he was remembering something he longed for. "You're so different. You remind me of the real reason why I'm doing this. It feels nice, for a change."

His smile turned bittersweet. It felt obvious that he was playing a sad, distant memory in his mind.

"The real reason?" I whispered while raising an eyebrow.

"I was in the control room with Agape and the others," he confessed then, coming back from his memory, "when Gabi and Sigi were bombing the GSNS and the BioBank. We saw it all on the monitors – but for one tiny little detail."

"What detail?"

"We didn't realise at that moment that you're a good person. Also a normal one. That even normal people can help us. That we're supposed to be doing our job to protect those like you from the clones the way we would love to shield our loved ones from harm – if they were alive, that is."

I had completely forgotten about that. Every one of them had no relatives left.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I whispered kindly.

"Our lives have become quite dark lately, Daphne," he went on with sadness and seriousness. "We've become ruthless liars, spies, and murderers. We belong in the darkness of the shadows. You're a ray of sunlight. That was Sigi's mistake: getting a ray of sunlight like you involved with us. You caught his attention, and he couldn't let it go. We saw his thoughts being monitored the entire time – his thoughts about you, Daphne."

"What was he thinking about me that made him fail and got him into so much trouble with Agape?"

He chuckled.

"Sorry, gal. You'll have to ask him yourself," he said as he put on his helmet and his hands on the handlebars.

I panicked. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to know more.

"I already did!" I exclaimed. He stopped to look at me. "He got mad at me. Then, I got mad at him. And I told him stuff that I regret. But I apologised and fixed his bike's coolant tank. We talked, but he's... He's not telling me."

"Then, push his buttons," he replied daringly. "Harder. Sigi's the most talented rookie we've ever had. All of us have envied him from day one for being able to shoot at moving targets," he added with genuine jealousy and admiration, "even from a long distance, and nail it. He's a hunting god. He deserves all my praises, but he's an idiot. If you keep asking, he'll end up surrendering."

Having said that, he waved goodbye at me, put on his helmet, and fled on his amazing bike.

Hello, my sugar cubes!

Do you like Ray? He's got some insight to understand Sigi and the group better, don't you think so?

*Note on foreign words: 'koi' means 'carp fish' in Japanese.
'Arigato' means 'thank you' in Japanese.

Stay tuned to know more! 😊

XOXO

MS